Baby carriers adapted to be worn on the back of an individual, such as an adult, have been commercially available for a number of years. For the most part, these carriers are made so that an infant or child is carried in the vicinity of the middle of the back. When a child is carried in this way, its legs either abut or straddle the back of the individual. This construction causes considerable strain on the back of the individual and requires that the carrier be in the shape of a pocket or pouch to properly support the child.
Other attempts have been made to provide baby carriers in which the child is disposed near the shoulders of the adult so that the legs of the child partially embrace the neck of the adult. In this way, the adult can hold onto the legs to provide the infant with a greater sense of security against falling. Typical of these latter attempts are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,610,489 and 3,698,608.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,489, a flexible, canvas pouch or pocket with leg holes is removably mounted by suitable braces to a backpack frame of the type having upright, tubular side frame members. The pouch projects laterally a considerable distance of the back of the wearer so that the weight of the child carried in the pouch causes considerable strain on the back. The child does not sit sufficiently forwardly to allow its weight to be near the vertical plane of the major portion of the wearer's back.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,608, a child is completely unsupported above its waist and its hands must encircle the head of the adult for support. Moreover, the seat for the child rests, by virtue of a complicated construction, on the shoulders of the adult and the seat itself is of a moldable material, such as plastic or the like. These features minimize its versatility and its adaptability for children of different sizes.